The Final Confrontation
by xephtastic
Summary: Jedi Exile Aishi arrives on Malachor V to hunt down her former teacher, Atton confronts the obstacles in his path and Sion awaits Aishi within the Sith Academy.


02/12/2012

Aishi stepped off the loading ramp onto the cracked surface of Malachor V. She could sense Kreia's presence below her, deep within the planet's core. The end was drawing near – only one would survive their inevitable encounter – she was determined it would be her. A definite goal in mind, Aishi moved forward, memorising the route she took so in the event that a quick escape was required, she would be prepared.

It wasn't long before she encountered her first real threat: a storm beast. She remembered the ugly creatures well from the Mandalorian Wars, where she had been witness to so much death, the majority of it by her own hands. She pushed away all feelings of regret and focused on her current situation; the beast hadn't yet noticed her.

She knew it was only a matter of time.

Activating her lightsaber, she propelled forward with the Force and lunged at her adversary in one swift movement. Despite its size, it was quick to react and swatted her away as it would a minor annoyance. She hit the rock wall hard – but was only winded, not injured. Before the beast could attack, she was on the move again and slashed at its leg, using her momentum to slip inside the arc of its deadly claws.

The beast howled in pain and thrashed about, trying in vain to land a successful hit. Aishi dodged its clumsy attacks and stabbed at it again, this time aiming for the lower torso. She twisted her body out of the reach of its monstrous claws, but the beast managed a glancing blow to her cheek that instantly drew blood.

Ignoring the sudden flare of pain, she aimed a bolt of lightning at the dark, beady eyes of the beast. It screamed again, the bloodcurdling sound echoing loudly off the rock walls, no doubt heard from miles away. The storm beast stomped hard, sending a vibration across the planet's surface that knocked her off her feet. She rolled away from the deadly claws and jumped to her feet.

The battle had gone on long enough – it was time to end it. Aishi took a deep breath and screamed. She channelled the Force into the scream, sending shockwaves outwards, causing the beast to fly backwards, smashing into a wall. The ground beneath her feet shook. She launched herself at the monstrous creature and slice its head off in one clean swipe. The beast was dead, she had overcome her first obstacle – there would doubtless be more to come.

Atton followed Mical off the ship, remaining undetected by the Jedi Disciple. It was tempting for Atton to end his life there and then, without giving Mical a chance to defend himself, but he knew that would leave his hunger for revenge unsatisfied. He had waited a long time for this moment, and he wasn't about to let it finish too quickly. He wanted a fight – the thrill of battle – and then he wanted to see Mical dead before him. The dark side raged within him, the power was restless, wanting to be unleashed on the subject that he bore such hate.

_You must wait,_ he told himself. _Wait for the perfect opportunity, and then strike._ He wasn't going to ruin the moment; he wasn't going to pass up an opportunity to taunt his opponent one last time. So he followed silently, in the shadows, like a panther waiting to pounce on its unsuspecting prey. He masked his presence with the dark side, so the other man could not sense him – he wasn't about to take any unnecessary risks. He wanted to catch Mical off-guard, to see the surprise overtake his features when he appeared out of the mist, death incarnate.

A dark shape appeared before Mical, shrouded in the mist. He activated his green saber and took up a defensive stance. As the mist cleared, he came to recognise the figure approaching him. "Atton?" he asked uncertainly, lowering his blade slightly. Atton came to a halt a few paces from where Mical stood. Atton remained silent.

"You had me worried there for a moment. I thought you were a foe."

"Well, I'm not."

"I know."

"Why is your blade still activated?" he asked, gesturing at the glowing green lightsaber in his hand. Mical hesitated, something didn't feel right. But it was only Atton. His lightsaber deactivated with a whoosh, he relaxed his stance.

"I've waited a long time for this, _Mical._" He spoke the name like it was poison, his eyes smouldered with hate. "Ever since you joined us on Dantooine you've been weaselling your way into my life. You've filled her head with sweet nothings, trying to draw her away from _me._" With each word he spoke, he took one step forward, Mical taking one back. "Atton..."

"Shut up! I've seen the way you look at her; all innocent and lovesick. You're not meant for each other! She's _mine._"

"Aishi and I are close, but I don't feel about her that way. I respect her, that's all. You need to calm down, Atton. Anger only leads to the dark side." Mical could feel the anger - the raw emotion radiating from his friend, and it scared him. He took another step back as Atton advanced on him with deadly purpose.

"Liar! You tried to take her away from me! You wanted to get between us, but guess what? I'm going to end your life, and as you lie dying on the ground, I will finally be free!"

"Can't we sort this out? I never meant to hurt you. Atton-"

"-I don't care. I just want you dead."

Mical understood. Atton was too far gone; he had given himself over to the dark side, and was intent on killing him. No amount of reasoning would make him change his mind. His emotions had been raging inside him for far too long; it had all been boiling down to this – this one confrontation. One of them would die, he knew it. He didn't want to kill Atton, but if it came down to it, he would be ready. If he could defeat Atton and somehow bring him back to the light, he would. But he knew deep down that it was already too late. Atton activated his lightsaber: crimson red, the colour of blood. Mical, reluctantly, activated his own blade and stood ready for the inevitable attack. With a roar, Atton leapt at him, blade raised.

The storm beasts fell to her blade, one after the other. As she drew nearer to the core, Kreia's presence grew stronger – as did the presence of another. Sion, the Lord of Pain. Her heart beat faster at the thought of him. He was her desire, the one thing she knew she needed, above all else. She was itching for the confrontation with Kreia. Before that there would be Sion, she knew. He was close now, so close that she felt she could reach out and touch him. He was inside the ancient Sith Academy. She was headed there first; then to the planet's core where she would confront Kreia.

Mical brought his saber up to block Atton's aggressive move. Their two sabers clashed loudly, the force of the impact buckling his knees. He struggled to push back his opponent, but Atton was physically stronger. Their sabers were locked. If it came down to a battle of strength, he knew he would fall short. He disengaged and leapt away, out of the reach of the crimson blade. Atton attacked again, maneuvering his blade in a sweeping arc, meant to separate the head from the body. Mical ducked as the blade whistled past, merely centimetres above him. Atton lunged at him, moving his saber in a stabbing motion, aimed at his heart. Mical threw up a Force-shield, protecting him from the deadly blade of Atton's lightsaber.

"Why won't you _die_?" Atton screamed, his entire body burning with the fury he felt inside. He slashed at the Disciple's shield over and over, his strokes were powerful, and though they did not hurt, Mical was compelled to give ground. The sheer force he put behind each stroke was devastating – he couldn't keep his shield up indefinitely. He already grew tired from maintaining his shield against the barrage of blows. He needed another strategy – and fast.

Atton pulled away, glaring at Mical. His fingers crackled with energy as he called on the dark side to form lightning in his hands. A storm unleashed from his fingertips, breaking Mical's Force-shield and scorching his skin. "Argh!" Mical dropped to his knees. The storm died away as Atton approached his defeated enemy, a look of triumph on his features. He crouched down beside Mical and smiled. "It looks like I've won," he whispered. "You didn't put up much of a fight. You see? The light just isn't strong enough – the darkness will always win."

"You're wrong," Mical wheezed. "Light will triumph over dark because it is pure. The dark side is corrupt, and all corrupt things fall eventually."

Atton growled and zapped him again. Mical caught it awkwardly with his lightsaber, but it wasn't enough to save him from more burning pain. Atton didn't stop – Mical's skin burned, he screamed in agony. His lightsaber dropped from his charred fingers and he fell forward, using his hands to support him.

Summoning all of his remaining energy he blasted Atton with the Force, sending him flying and bringing a cease to the constant flow of lightning. But the pain didn't end. He lay there on his back, suffering, for what seemed like an eternity. As he stared up at the stormy sky, he felt himself slipping away.

"It's going to rain," he whispered as tears of compassion fell from his eyes. Compassion for his fallen friend whom he could not save.

A small smile touched his lips as he was at last able to rest in peace.

Atton groaned in pain from the impact with the rock. He staggered to his feet as a loud crash of thunder sounded overhead. Raindrops began to plummet from the sky, it was already pouring by the time he had steadied himself after the shock of hitting the wall. He started to walk, the movement instantly met by pain shooting throughout his body; but he embraced it – pain made him stronger. Blood flowed freely from fresh wounds, but he would worry about that later. He still had one last obstacle to overcome.

Sion.

He was the one thing now standing between him and Aishi – once he was disposed of, he could finally have her all to himself. But did he have the power to take down a Sith Lord? No. He needed to be confident; if he believed he could do it, he would.

He took one last glance at the smouldering corpse of his former friend. What he saw infuriated him. "No!" he shrieked. "No, no, no!" He ran over and grabbed Mical's ragged robes, pulling him up to shoulder-height. "How dare you be at peace!" He shook the body violently, shouting curses that fell on deaf ears. "You were supposed to suffer! You were supposed to die in agony!"

The chamber was dark; there was no one inside it, save the solitary figure sitting alone in the center. The Lord of Pain sensed someone drawing near, he focused on the presence as it grew stronger, but could not recognise who it was. Aishi was present in his mind, as always, but she was much further away. The one approaching him was a stranger, yet somehow familiar. He searched his mind until he found what he was looking for. Ah, the pilot – the arrogant man who believed himself to be worthy of Aishi's love.

He would have to die.

He was tainted with the dark side, but had only skimmed the surface of its power. His life would end before he could get a taste of all it had to offer. Sion did not move as Atton advanced slowly, lightsaber in hand. "Mical died by my hands, and so will you. Nothing will stand between me and the woman I love!" Atton shouted.

Sion remained silent.

Atton screamed as he charged, bringing his saber down over the Sith Lord's head. It was halted before impact, held firmly by an invisible force. Sion lashed out with the Force, sending him flying into a column with a loud crash. He took a moment to recover, wiping the blood from his lips. The ease with which the Dark Lord dealt with him only served to anger him further, he leapt at him again, but his adversary was

no longer there.

Atton's momentum worked against himself. He stumbled forward, losing his balance when the blade didn't make contact. Sion kicked him hard, sending him sprawling across the floor, his lightsaber sliding away out of reach. Atton leapt to his feet again and pulled his lightsaber back into his hand.

He turned to see Sion had adopted a defensive stance, blade activated. His expression was mocking. Atton's anger transformed into white-hot fury and he lunged once more, his blade meeting Sion's again and again as he attacked, trying to gain some advantage over the Lord of Pain. When Sion switched to the offensive, he sped away out of the blade's reach, causing Sion to stumble forward.

He knew he had no chance to win in close combat. So, taking advantage of Sion's vulnerability, he threw his lightsaber at the Dark Lord. Sion looked down at the blade protruding from his body. Atton approached his defeated enemy, a triumphant smile playing on his lips. When he was within range, Sion simply wrenched the blade free and stabbed it right through him. Shock overtook his features,

he dropped to his hands and knees. He could taste blood in his mouth as his vision faded. The last thing he saw was Sion standing over him, pulling the lightsaber from his body.

Then he was gone.

Aishi saw Sion stab Atton with his own blade, and watched as he fell to the floor. Sion pulled the blade from the lifeless corpse and said, without turning, "You have arrived."

"It seems I was too late," she whispered.

The Dark Lord laughed softly. "Would you have saved him if you had the chance?"

The question hung in the air and she didn't answer for quite some time. "I don't know," she said at last. Conflicted emotions raged within her. She was torn between the light and the dark; she still did not know where her allegiance lay.

"Why did you kill Atton?" she asked quietly.

"Because he is not worthy of your love."

Aishi considered his answer. "Did he say anything to you?"

"He told me that he killed... _Mical_, and that he wouldn't let anything stand between him and you."

She knelt down beside Atton's corpse and gently closed his eyes. "I'm so confused, Sion. I know I need to kill Kreia, but I don't know whether it's out of allegiance to the light or dark." She stood up and looked him in the eyes. "All I know is… is that I want you to be there."

"I will join you, Exile."

_You are here at last,_ Kreia spoke in her mind.

Aishi ignored her and continued walking along the pathway leading to the very core of the world, Sion following close behind.

_And you have brought your pet._

She would not be goaded into losing control of her emotions by Kreia; she had learned to resist her mocking comments after a long time travelling together. Kreia seemed to sense this, so made no further comment.

When Aishi reached the center she stopped, activating her lightsaber and assuming the ready position. She was done with words; it was time to end this. "You have come a long way to die, Exile," Kreia said. Aishi and Sion attacked simultaneously, their sabers carving deadly arcs in the air. Kreia blocked both with two floating sabers of her own. She summoned another two, controlling them with her mind, sending them to attack the vulnerable sides of her foes.

Aishi spun away, but the floating saber managed a glancing blow to her thigh. She bit back the instinctive cry of pain. Sion sent a saber flying off the edge, severing the connection between it and Kreia's mind. He fought her now, one blade against two, blocking each blow as they came. Aishi sliced the floating saber's handle in two, extinguishing the threat it served.

Kreia was distracted with Sion, so she ran in to attack. She raised her blade above her head and brought it down upon Kreia's arm, severing it from the elbow. Kreia screamed, sending a shockwave of energy in Aishi's direction, throwing her off the edge of the platform. Her defences were momentarily down, but instead of taking advantage of the situation, Sion reached out for Aishi with the Force and pulled her back to safety.

"Die, Exile!" Kreia cried, sending a storm of Force Lightning towards her. The Exile braced herself for the impact, but it never came. The lightning was absorbed by Sion, who had placed himself between her and the attack. He fell, Aishi sent out a life-sucking force headed for Kreia that drained away the very essence of her being. Kreia fell and struggled against it, but could not sever the link.

Aishi consumed Kreia's energy, restoring her own; healing the cuts and bruises she had received during the fight. The last of Kreia's life vanished and she lay still. Dead. The bond was severed, the aura surrounding her fell away. She had no idea what she had done, but it had been an instinctive move. She rushed to Sion's side and helped him to his feet. "Are you all right?" she asked, concern written all over her face.

"The dark side serves me well," he replied.

The entire core shook with a monstrous sound that Aishi recognised at once. "The Mass Shadow Generator!" she cried. "We must leave this forsaken world at once!" She and Sion raced off, summoning the Force to speed their escape. They climbed the Ebon Hawk's loading ramp; the engine had already been warmed. Aishi ran to the cockpit and found Mira in the pilot's seat. "Where's Atton?" she asked.

"Dead."

"And Mical?"

"Also dead. We need to get out of here!" Mira glanced at Sion and raised her eyebrows. "There will be time for explanations later," Aishi added, noticing her expression. "Let's go!"

The ship launched and blasted into space as Malachor V exploded, finally bringing an end to the treacherous planet, that only served to remind everyone of a troubled past. They made the jump into hyperspace, leaving it all behind.


End file.
